Held each spring, the Dash Conference was established by Samuel Dash’s family and friends, Georgetown Law alumni and the law firm of Cozen O’Connor to honor Dash’s contributions to international human rights and domestic civil rights. Dash, who joined the Georgetown Law faculty in 1965, and was on the board of the International League of Human Rights, traversed the globe in pursuit of justice. He led a human rights mission to Northern Ireland to investigate the 1972 “Bloody Sunday” incident, and traveled to the Soviet Union and Chile. In 1985, he was the first American to visit Nelson Mandela in prison and became involved in mediation efforts that eventually led to Mandela’s release. Dash also served as Chief Counsel of the Senate Watergate Committee’s investigation into the Nixon administration’s involvement in the Democratic National Committee break-in, which ultimately led to President Nixon’s resignation. Professor Dash passed away in 2004.

Past Samuel Dash Conference

2019: Human Rights and Today’s Vulnerable Migrants

2018: Defending Women’s Human Rights: Achievements, Obstacles, and Opportunities for Empowerment

2017: Global Criminal Justice: Accomplishments, Challenges, and Future Directions (2017 Concept Note)

2016: Promoting the Rights of Children: International Norms and Domestic Opportunities (2016 Concept Note)

2015: Migration, Border Externalization and Access to Humanitarian Protection Agenda (2015 Concept Note)

2014: Multilateral Development Banks & Human Rights (Concept Note)

2013: Jurisdiction for Mass Atrocities

2012: Maternal Health and Human Rights

2011: The Role of Accountability in Protecting Human Rights and National Security

2010: The Challenge of Balancing Peace and Justice

2009: Rule of Law in the Context of Military Interventions

2008: The Future of Human Rights

2007: Constitutional Checks and Balances in the Post-9/11 Era: Revitalizing Congress’s Role

2006: War, Terror, and Human Rights: Setting the Agenda